Biology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Sleight-of-hand magic trick only fools monkeys with opposable thumbs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An illusion involving a hidden thumb confounds capuchin and squirrel monkeys for the same reason it does humans -- it misdirects expected outcomes of actions they can carry out. However, marmosets have five equidistant digits, and were rarely fooled by the magician. The research adds to evidence that animals struggle to predict movements outside of their own 'biomechanical ability'.

Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

One of Swedish warship Vasa's crew was a woman      (via sciencedaily.com) 

When the human remains found on board the Swedish warship Vasa (1628) were investigated, it was determined that the skeleton designated G was a man. New research now shows that the skeleton is actually from a woman. About thirty people died when Vasa sank on its maiden voyage in Stockholm, 1628. We cannot know who most of them were, only one person is named in the written sources. When the ship was raised in 1961 it was the scene of a comprehensive archaeological excavation, in which numerous human bones were found on board and examined.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: Exploration Space: General
Published

A new measurement could change our understanding of the Universe      (via sciencedaily.com) 

When it comes to measuring how fast the Universe is expanding, the result depends on which side of the Universe you start from. A recent study has calibrated the best cosmic yardsticks to unprecedented accuracy, shedding new light on what's known as the Hubble tension.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Origami-inspired robots can sense, analyze and act in challenging environments      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A multidisciplinary team has created a new fabrication technique for fully foldable robots that can perform a variety of complex tasks without relying on semiconductors.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Galaxy clusters yield new evidence for standard model of cosmology      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study probing the structure and evolution of galaxy clusters shows good agreement with the predictions of standard cosmological models.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Robotic hand can identify objects with just one grasp      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Newly created soft-rigid robotic fingers incorporate powerful sensors along their entire length, enabling them to produce a robotic hand that could accurately identify objects after only one grasp.

Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

English language pushes everyone -- even AI chatbots -- to improve by adding      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A linguistic bias in the English language that leads us to 'improve' things by adding to them, rather than taking away, is so common that it is even ingrained in AI chatbots, a new study reveals.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Yak milk consumption among Mongol Empire elites      (via sciencedaily.com) 

For the first time, researchers have pinpointed a date when elite Mongol Empire people were drinking yak milk, according to a new study.

Chemistry: General Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

Path to net-zero carbon capture and storage may lead to ocean      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineering researchers have developed a novel way to capture carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the 'infinite sink' of the ocean. The approach uses an innovative copper-containing polymeric filter and essentially converts CO2 into sodium bicarbonate (aka baking soda) that can be released harmlessly into the ocean. This new hybrid material, or filter, is called DeCarbonHIX (i.e., decarbonization through hybrid ion exchange material). The research has demonstrated a 300 percent increase in the amount of carbon captured compared with existing direct air capture methods.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Nature Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Researchers discover birds with neurotoxin-laden feathers      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An expedition into the jungle of New Guinea has resulted in the discovery of two new species of poisonous birds. Genetic changes in these bird species have allowed them to carry a powerful neurotoxin.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Scientists observe flattest explosion ever seen in space      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Astronomers have observed an explosion 180 million light years away which challenges our current understanding of explosions in space, that appeared much flatter than ever thought possible.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Researchers use 21st century methods to record 2,000 years of ancient graffiti in Egypt      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers are learning more about ancient graffiti -- and their intriguing comparisons to modern graffiti -- as they produce a state-of-the-art 3D recording of the Temple of Isis in Philae, Egypt.

Offbeat: General
Published

Thread-like pumps can be woven into clothes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed fiber-like pumps that allow high-pressure fluidic circuits to be woven into textiles without an external pump. Soft supportive exoskeletons, thermoregulatory clothing, and immersive haptics can therefore be powered from pumps sewn into the fabric of the devices themselves.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: General
Published

Predatory dinosaurs such as T. rex sported lizard-like lips      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study suggests that predatory dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus rex, did not have permanently exposed teeth as depicted in films such as Jurassic Park, but instead had scaly, lizard-like lips covering and sealing their mouths.

Biology: Botany Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Scientists analyze sounds emitted by plants      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have recorded and analyzed sounds distinctly emitted by plants. The click-like sounds, similar to the popping of popcorn, are emitted at a volume similar to human speech, but at high frequencies, beyond the hearing range of the human ear.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Mathematics: Modeling Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Can AI predict how you'll vote in the next election?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Artificial intelligence technologies like ChatGPT are seemingly doing everything these days: writing code, composing music, and even creating images so realistic you'll think they were taken by professional photographers. Add thinking and responding like a human to the conga line of capabilities. A recent study proves that artificial intelligence can respond to complex survey questions just like a real human.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Astronomers witness the birth of a very distant cluster of galaxies from the early Universe      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Astronomers have discovered a large reservoir of hot gas in the still-forming galaxy cluster around the Spiderweb galaxy -- the most distant detection of such hot gas yet. Galaxy clusters are some of the largest objects known in the Universe and this result further reveals just how early these structures begin to form.

Computer Science: General Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

New chip design to provide greatest precision in memory to date      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Everyone is talking about the newest AI and the power of neural networks, forgetting that software is limited by the hardware on which it runs. But it is hardware become 'the bottleneck.' New collaborators might change that. They believe that they have developed a new type of chip with the best memory of any chip thus far for edge AI (AI in portable devices). To put it in context, right now, ChatGPT is running on a cloud. The new innovation, followed by some further development, could put the power of a mini version of ChatGPT in everyone's personal device. It could make such high-powered tech more affordable and accessible for all sorts of applications.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Can a solid be a superfluid? Engineering a novel supersolid state from layered 2D materials      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists predict that layered electronic 2D semiconductors can host a curious quantum phase of matter called the supersolid. This counterintuitive quantum material simultaneously forms a rigid crystal, and yet at the same time allows particles to flow without friction, with all the particles belong to the same single quantum state.